Whether you were an entrepreneur from the get-go or built your business later in life, you're likely here because the lure of retirement or the desire to change paths has you ready to exit your lower-middle market or middle-market company. Among the many learning curves that come with business ownership, understanding the process of selling a company can be overwhelming.

Top Reasons to Consider an Exit Strategy

Exit strategies are the foundation of successfully selling your business. They'll help set up your business to maximize its value, identify the best fit potential buyers, and ensure you have your paperwork in order when a prospective buyer goes through the due diligence process.

Some company owners try to put together their exit strategy. However, those who don't have previous experience selling a business usually find themselves in over their heads with paperwork, technicalities, and closing on a lower price than their business deserves. 

For these reasons, when looking at the typical business owner exit strategy versus an M&A exit strategy, hiring the help of an M&A specialist is advantageous. We'll talk more about the role of an M&A advisor soon. For now, let's look at ten reasons why having a well-planned exit strategy is critical before you sell your business.

1. Identifying Buyers 

2. Taxes

3. Preparation for Opportunities 

4. Foundation for Goals

5. Business Valuation

6. Seamless Transition

7. Timing

8. Personal Emergencies

9. Offer Options

10. Recession

Andrew is the owner and managing director of Rogerson Business Services, a licensed business consulting, M&A Advisory located in Sacramento, CA. His services include business brokerage; helping owners sell and/or buyers purchase a lower middle-market business including medical practice from $500,000 to $50 million.

Would you like to schedule a 10-minutes discovery call to see if we are a good fit? Just grab a suitable time on my calendar - link - https://www.midmarketbusinesses.com/qualification-form

Andrew Rogerson

The most expensive thing a business owner will ever "buy" 

is a free valuation.

It sounds like a bargain. 
It’s actually a trap.

In M&A, you get exactly what you pay for. 
And when you pay zero for a valuation, 
you aren't getting a deep financial analysis. 

You are usually getting a listing pitch.

I see founders make this mistake constantly. 
They hand over their financials to a generalist broker offering a "complimentary assessment."

The result is almost always a disaster. 

Here is why.

The "Listing" Bias: 
Free valuations are often inflated to flatter the owner into signing a representation agreement. 

It’s vanity metrics, 
not market reality.

The Missing Add-Backs: 
An automated or quick-turn valuation rarely does the heavy lifting of recasting financials. 

They miss the discretionary earnings that drive your multiple.

The "Algo" Error: 
Generic tools treat a specialized manufacturing firm the same as a retail shop. 

They lack the semantic nuance to understand 
your IP, 
your team, 
or your recurring revenue quality.

A "free" valuation that undervalues your life's work by $500k cost you $500k.

That is not a saving. 
That is a catastrophe.

True valuation requires forensic accounting, 
market comparables, 
and human judgment. 

It is an investment, 
not a cost.
________
Business owners: When you look back at your exit, was the initial number you had in your head anywhere close to what the market actually paid?

I Help You Maximize The Value Of Your Business Before Selling | Focus on Sell-Side M&A | Serving Lower Middle-Market Business Owners in California

The most expensive thing a business owner will ever "buy" is a free valuation. Andrew Rogerson's take on free business valuations. 

Helping Founders Scale, Prepare, and Exit | Value & Profit Growth | Live Streaming Business Development | Buying & Selling Businesses | Chief Exit Officer | LinkedIn Live Stream Host

Running a business was supposed to give you more freedom, not take it away.

But somewhere along the way, growth slowed. The work got heavier. You’re buried in day-to-day decisions, your team is busy, but results aren’t where they should be. Instead of scaling, it feels like you’re stuck.

That’s not failure. That’s a business plateau. And it’s more common than most business owners are willing to admit.

I help fix that.

For more than 25 years, I’ve worked with owners and leadership teams in manufacturing, ecommerce, and B2B services to help them grow businesses that run better, generate more value, and eventually become sellable when the time is right.

Through Exit Your Way, I guide B2B companies to build systems, elevate teams, and create exit options, even if they don’t plan to sell for years. Through our work at B2Btail with the Digital Game Plan strategy development/execution process, we help companies stop being the best kept secret by creating marketing foundations that attract their ideal customers and position them for long-term success.

My focus is simple: helping you build a business that works, whether you’re in the room or not.

Common challenges I help solve:

Low visibility: Your best customers don’t know you exist. We fix that by aligning messaging, strategy, and marketing assets to bring them to you.

Owner overload: If everything depends on you, growth hits a wall. We help build teams and systems that keep moving, even when you step away.

Exit confusion: You want out someday, but the path forward is unclear. We build companies buyers want and owners are proud of.

When it works, here’s what changes:

Customers find you because your message finally speaks their language

Your team handles the day-to-day, freeing you to focus on higher-value work

You move from reacting to leading, and from being stuck to scaling intentionally

I’ve built and sold companies, led investor-backed teams, and helped founders grow from $5 million to $30 million and beyond. I bring the tools, perspective, and calm needed to lead through messy growth and prepare for clean, profitable exits.

But this isn’t just about growth or selling. It’s about control over your time, your team, your income, and your future.

If you’re ready to lead again instead of constantly catching up, I’d be glad to talk.

damon@exityourway.com

425-654-7757
exityourway.com | b2btail.com

You’ve built something great. Let’s make sure it works for you.

Damon Pistulka √

Digital transformation is critical in business today.


This journey can be daunting, but it's worth it.


Here's a simple checklist:

🔷Define what expanding your market reach your digital transformation will improve in your business .

🔷Evaluate and select strategies that help you achieve these goals.

🔷Encourage your team to embrace digital change by creating an environment where experimentation is welcomed.

Digital transformation unlocks new opportunities and addresses challenges head-on that will significantly improve your business.  Just like the caterpillar turning into the butterfly so it can fly north and return.


⚡Digital transformation is about taking calculated steps towards a better business.⚡


How is your business taking the digital leap?

⭐ Helping owners grow their businesses with coaching, training, systems, and a supportive community. ⭐

👉Subscribe to "The Best Kept Secret Sauce" newsletter for strategies that turn whispers into conversations. (link in my profile)

🔔 Follow me for thoughts on business growth, leadership, and life.


Video credit - benjaminhill

#DigitalTransformation #SmallBusiness #Innovation #Technology #Growth

Helping Business Owners Achieve Significant Profit Growth | Transformative Business Development | Transaction Advisory | LinkedIn Live Stream Host

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